title: Antiproliferative effects of carotenoids extracted from Chlorella ellipsoidea and Chlorella vulgaris on human colon cancer cells.
abstract: The antiproliferative activity of carotenoids separated from marine Chlorella ellipsoidea and freshwater Chlorella vulgaris has been evaluated. HPLC analysis revealed that the main carotenoid from C. ellipsoidea was composed of violaxanthin with two minor xanthophylls, antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin, whereas the carotenoid from C. vulgaris was almost completely composed of lutein. In an MTT assay, both semipurified extracts of C. ellipsoidea and C. vulgaris inhibited HCT116 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, yielding IC(50) values of 40.73 +/- 3.71 and 40.31 +/- 4.43 microg/mL, respectively. In addition, treatment with both chlorella extracts enhanced the fluorescence intensity of the early apoptotic cell population in HCT116 cells. C. ellipsoidea extract produced an apoptosis-inducing effect almost 2.5 times stronger than that of the C. vulgaris extract. These results indicate that bioactive xanthophylls of C. ellipsoidea might be useful functional ingredients in the prevention of human cancers.
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Gangneung, Gangwon-do, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Song Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Dong-Un
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D002708:Chlorella / Q000737:chemistry*; D045325:HCT116 Cells; D006801:Humans; D014975:Lutein / Q000032:analysis; D013045:Species Specificity; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D024341:Xanthophylls; D002338:Carotenoids; C005613:violaxanthin; D014975:Lutein